Lopes look to take control for Grambling grapple

Friday, Nov. 18 \| 7 p.m. \| GCU Arena \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	GRAMBLING STATE TIGERS (2-0)	at	GRAND CANYON LOPES (2-1)

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Since losing Saturday at Nevada after holding a seven-point, second-half lead, Grand Canyon could have spent the week lamenting players Josh Baker and Kobe Knox being out ill or the shots that did not fall.

Instead, GCU (2-1) wants to control the controllables when it plays a 7 p.m. Friday home game against a 2-0 Grambling State team earning top-25 votes after a win against Colorado.

As good as it is to be holding opponents to 33% shooting (No. 16 nationally) this season, the Lopes lost labeled Nevada shooters at inopportune times to allow key 3-pointers. And for a GCU roster expecting to form its best shooting team, the Lopes are need of running their system better and taking advantage of quality shot opportunities more.

"What I liked is our guys' fight and determination," Lopes head coach Bryce Drew said. "Those are two things that lead a team to be successful. Now we've got to shoot the ball better. We've got to execute better."

The ideal situation for Drew and his staff is that they are not relying on projections for that to happen. The Lopes have proven scorers and shooters whose prime issue to the adjustment to new teammates, situations and surroundings.

GCU starters Ray Harrison and Noah Baumann each have made one shot in each of the past two games. Harrison, a 6-foot-4 guard, averaged 17.1 points over two seasons at Presbyterian but is at 5.3 for his first three GCU games. Baumann, a 6-foot-6 forward, ranks 12th in the nation for career 3-point percentage (42.0%) among active players but is 0 for 9 on 3s in the past two games.

Ray Harrison

Harrison, an All-Big South second-team selection last season, was growing as a diverse scorer in the Lopes' offseason practices but is 5 for 23 from the field in games with 0-for-11 shooting on 3-pointers, not including going 0 for 5 on 3s in the exhibition game.

"My approach to the game was a little more passive," Harrison said. "I was just going with the flow. I'm not helping my team the best way I can when I'm playing that way. They didn't bring me here to be that way. I need to change that way in my mind. I can still do all the same things and more. I just have had a mental block. The only person stopping me is me."

Baumann is even more experienced and just as unflustered. The Phoenix native has been a shooting specialist with the size to slide to either forward spot after playing at San Jose State, USC and Georgia.

Noah Baumann

"Being in college basketball so long, I'm not even thinking about percentages," Baumann said. "I'm just thinking about next-shot mentality. I'm getting in a lot of shots to get my groove back. I feel great. My head is high. I feel confident. When they fall again, they're going to come in bunches."

Grambling has GCU's attention for its 83-74 home victory on Saturday against Colorado, which made 19 turnovers with 14 of them coming on the perimeter. The Tigers shot 50% and never trailed with Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle calling them "the more aggressive team."

The Grambling roster was formed with six Division I transfers and four junior college transfers, including a former top recruit in 6-foot-9 junior Carter'are Gordon. Senior 6-foot-3 guard Shawndarius Cowart, a Hofstra transfer, tallied 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists against Colorado.

"They have a top-50 recruit (Gordon) on their roster at center who just scored 14 against Colorado," Drew said. "And they have a Big 12 transfer (6-6 Terrence Lewis, formerly of Iowa State) who is really good and scored 15 off the bench."

The Lopes are playing their most challenging nonconference schedule, following Friday night with a trip to Kansas City to play in the Hall of Fame Classic. They will start with Wichita State on Monday and then face Northern Iowa or San Francisco on Tuesday.

"In the beginning weeks of college basketball, the name of a school doesn't mean anything right now," Baumann said. "There are so many upsets nowadays, just from people transferring. Every game, you have to understand you can lose. All the SWAC teams and HBCUs are killing right now and doing an amazing job of competing and beating high-level teams, so we're going to be locked in with Grambling. They're going to be scrappy and ready to win, so we've got to protect home court."

For the transfers, that means early buy-in with the system. Drew know there is a process to getting there, one that might not be as smooth as when Holland Woods II transferred and fit seamlessly after growing up as friends and summer teammates with GCU point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr.

On Saturday, Blacksher outscored the four other Lopes starters 16-13 and shot 6 for 14 while they were 6 for 27 combined.

"I've been thinking too much," Harrison said. "I'm more dialed in now, way more than I was before, which I shouldn't have been to begin with. I'm just glad I'm able to now. Not looking in the past, not looking in the future. I'm just trying to win in the moment now and do everything my team needs me to do.

"We've got to make sure we don't underestimate these guys because they aren't the same team as in the past. We're going to go into it giving them the respect they deserve."

Lope tracks

Blacksher ranks 13th on the Lopes' all-time scoring list and is 59 away from GCU Hall of Famer and No. 12 scorer T.C. Dean (1,210 points). He also tied for ninth on the all-time steals list Saturday with his 141st career theft.
GCU is 3-0 against Grambling with the last meeting coming last season, when the Lopes won 74-53 with 16 points from Blacksher and 11 points and six rebounds from Gabe McGlothan.
Grambling has scored 53 points in each of its GCU Arena visits (Dec. 9, 2017; Nov. 25, 2020 and Nov. 9, 2021).
The Lopes are averaging 10.0 turnovers per game, the 31st-lowest average in the nation.
WAC brethren recorded two Thursday night victories against Power 5 opponents. Sam Houston won 65-55 at Utah and California Baptist won 73-64 at Washington.

Friday, Nov. 18 | 7 p.m. | GCU Arena | Phoenix, Ariz.

Lope tracks

Players Mentioned

Josh Baker

Noah Baumann

Jovan Blacksher Jr.

Ray Harrison

Kobe Knox

Gabe McGlothan

Grand Canyon University Athletics